ATLANTA -

With time being money, looking for the units you purchased at auction can be costly and frustrating in a sea of similar-looking silver sedans, black SUVs and white pickups.

It’s why Manheim was glad to share the ongoing success of its solution to that challenge — LotVision — which prompted at least one user to say, “I was able to go right to the vehicle.”

During the past year, Manheim said it has expanded LotVision to include more than half of all locations nationwide, enabling more clients to find their vehicles faster, while saving time and enjoying greater efficiencies.

Manheim noted in a news release this week that the technology is on track to be fully deployed by Sept. 30 to all remaining sites, minus a handful of locations that the company said do not compel the need for this tool.

Manheim recapped that LotVision is a wireless tracking device placed in a vehicle that can help dealers and transporters accurately locate their vehicles on auction lots to within 10 feet.

In addition to location tracking, Manheim recently partnered with Cox2M, the commercial IoT business line within Cox Communications, to launch a pilot program at Manheim Atlanta and Manheim Dallas that offers enhanced capabilities, such as accessing certain types of vehicle data via diagnostic trouble codes and battery health information.

The company indicated the pilot is expected to run through early September, with this added information available to clients before year’s end.

“Since introducing LotVision, it has proved to be a highly useful tool for dealers. From the beginning, we envisioned expanding this technology beyond simply vehicle tracking to include accessing valuable data such as battery health and select vehicle diagnostics,” said Bob Grounds, Manheim associate vice president of operational excellence.

“As our clients continue to look for more detailed vehicle information, we are excited that LotVision will help advance a more transparent marketplace,” Grounds continued in the news release.

Offering tracking capabilities for roughly 90% of Manheim’s vehicle inventory, the company highlighted that LotVision has become the most visited page on mymanheim.com and accessed by approximately 95% of users via a mobile device.

During this past year’s record winter storms, Manheim indicated the technology played a significant role, as snow-piled vehicles that were equipped with the technology no longer required VIN scanning.

Manheim shared in the news release that another user mentioned, “It’s an easy, fast location finder and accurate.”

Yet another user added, “The LotVision mobile app is easy to use and tells you everything you need to locate vehicles at a Manheim auction.”

The company pointed out that LotVision is a component of Manheim’s broader focus on creating a more connected client experience. In collaboration with Cox2M, they developed the GPS tracking hardware that powers LotVision.

The company also mentioned Manheim represents the largest LPWA (low power wide area) commercial IoT network in North America, designed to support greater numbers of connected devices over a larger area.

“LotVision has created operational efficiencies for us and our clients, while improving the overall experience for everyone,” Manheim Southern California general manager Tom Wemhoff said. “Clients tell me that they are saving lots of time by being able to find vehicles on their own without having to walk the entire lot.”

And Manheim said this technology also is being leveraged beyond its auction locations.

The company said dealer clients are also implementing this solution at their own dealerships, working with Cox2M to implement similar technology to track inventory on multiple lots and get vehicle status insights remotely when lot access is limited.